Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek is hosting a Spring Thank-You Lunch for campus employees from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, at Thompson-Boling Arena. UT employees who responded to the last employee engagement survey asked for more opportunities to see and hear directly from their campus or institute leader. A casual lunch to wrap up the semester will be served buffet style on the ground level of the arena. Employees may RSVP online.

The final open office hours session with Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek for this academic year will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 24. Chancellor Cheek began holding open office hours last fall to provide opportunities for faculty and staff to share ideas, thoughts, and questions. If you would like to meet with the chancellor during office hours, please send an e-mail with your request to chancellor@utk.edu by Thursday, April 17.

Some exciting changes are being made to campus employee events in direct response to feedback you provided in the most recent Employee Engagement Survey. UT employees who responded to the survey asked for more opportunities to see and hear directly from their campus or institute leader.

A bridge program that allows students to have dual enrollment and seamless transfer between Pellissippi State Community College and UT will open its doors to more students and become more affordable, thanks to changes being implemented for the coming year. UT Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek and Pellissippi President Anthony Wise met at 10:00 a.m. today to sign a memorandum of understanding enhancing the Volunteer Bridge Program.

Facilities Services employees were recognized this week for their service above and beyond the call of duty during recent freezing weather. Chancellor Cheek invited more than 170 employees to breakfast to extend his personal thanks. This month’s plummeting temperatures, rain, and snow have resulted in broken pipes and flooding at numerous sites around campus. Employees have worked extended shifts to address the problems.

Join Chancellor Cheek and other officials tomorrow as the campus celebrates the greatest basketball coach ever, Lady Vols Basketball Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt, with the dedication of Pat Summitt Plaza. The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. This historic day gives the campus community a special opportunity to thank Coach Summitt for her nearly forty years of service. This will be a very special Big Orange Friday for our campus, so come out and wear your orange.

Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek was part of a small group meeting at the White House Tuesday where he and other higher education leaders shared their thoughts about education and economic policy and learned more about new national initiatives. Along with representing UT, Cheek was there in his role as a board member for the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities with several other leaders of large universities.

As part of the university’s ongoing mission to be a more work-friendly campus, Chancellor Cheek plans to regularly set aside office hours to meet with faculty and staff. The first two dates for scheduled office hours are November 19 and December 10. To schedule a time to meet with the chancellor, send an e-mail with your request to chancellor@utk.edu by the close of business on November 15 for the first session or December 5 for the second session.